Southern Caribbean ABC Gone!

[luv4cruises]

We cruise to the ABC islands once or twice/year on Princess, Celebrity or HAL, most recently in November on the Enchanted- wonderful 10 day itinerary. Sadly it seems that Princess- after many, many years of offering that same itinerary has abandoned it for 2024, maybe 2023 ( booked on Celebrity for 2023)   I also noticed that HAL has only 1 9 day itinerary that includes Bonaire for 2024.  Does anyone know why the ABC Island itinerary has been scrapped?   Princess - please offer the ABC 10 day itinerary!!!!!!!

 

[MJC]

My guess is the bigger ships can't port there? I've noticed too that it isn't available. We are looking at another line for that itinerary now.

[Guest ldtr]

2 minutes ago, MJC said:

My guess is the bigger ships can't port there? I've noticed too that it isn't available. We are looking at another line for that itinerary now.

Or might be that it is easier to fill 7 day itineraries than it is a 10 day itinerary.  For many one Carribbean port is as good as another.

[JimmyVWine]

Maybe it has to do with fuel costs?  FLL to the ABCs and back is a long way. Would be nice to have some cruises start in San Juan but I don’t see that happening. 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 hour ago, MJC said:

My guess is the bigger ships can't port there?

Enchanted did.

So did the Allure of the Seas.

[Essiesmom]

1 hour ago, MJC said:

My guess is the bigger ships can't port there? I've noticed too that it isn't available. We are looking at another line for that itinerary now.

Or that there are more bigger ships, and they can’t dock as many in a day.  And maybe more lines are going there…

[MrSchwump]

We’re going to A and B in February on the Enchanted. 

[Wishing on a star]

A lot of their itineraries look to be changed up a bit.

Bonaire seems to be missing from the 2023-2024 schedules so far.

 

I see the 11 Day Caribbean Islander.  New York to FLL  Nov 2023 

It has Curacao and Aruba

 

12 Day Caribbean Islander. Regal Princess  October 2023

  It too has Curacao and Aruba

 

12 Day Caribbean Islander.  Regal Princess  March 2024  Regal Princess

It too has Aruba and Curacao

 

The 14 Day Circle Caribbean are some interesting itineraries.

Ruby Princess and Emerald Princess.

does also have Curacao and Aruba.

 

[EatonDoolittle]

Celebrity offers 8 and 9 nights to A B and C from Ft Lauderdale.

[luv4cruises]

Look further into the future- No ABC’s  Only Celebrity ships have several ABC itineraries in 2024.  We’ve been to the ABC’s on Enchanted, Emerald, Equinox, Silhouette, Eclipse,, Noordan, Konigsdam-all fairly big ships.  Princess has had one of best Southern Caribbean itineraries-7- 8 ports- the most of any cruise line in a 10 day cruise. 🤞🤞Princess will re-instate the ABC’s.  

[luv4cruises]

1 minute ago, luv4cruises said:

Look further into the future- No ABC’s  Only Celebrity ships have several ABC itineraries in 2024.  We’ve been to the ABC’s on Enchanted, Emerald, Equinox, Silhouette, Eclipse,, Noordan, Konigsdam-all fairly big ships.  Princess has had one of best Southern Caribbean itineraries-7- 8 ports- the most of any cruise line in a 10 day cruise. 🤞🤞Princess will re-instate the 10 day ABC’s.with Bonaire the best snorkeling spot in the Caribbean!

 

[Dididi]

We arrived to Port Everglades on Tuesday after a wonderful 10-day Christmas cruise on the Sky Princess. The last two ports were Curacao and Bonaire.  World class snorkeling in Bonaire and saw plenty of fish in Curacao too.  The ship was only 60% full, which was a surprise to us.  Some passengers said that people don't want to go to Grenada (loved the river tubing tour) and Dominica.  Others said that ten-day itineraries aren't too popular.  Well, we had a fantastic time and hope to return to the ABC islands -- we visited Aruba on the Pacific Princess years ago.

[smithmlmx]

That's why, at Princess Elite level, we are taking our first Celebrity cruise to ABC in Dec 2023

[luv4cruises]

You will not be disappointed! We alternate between Princess, HAL, Celebrity and Royal (with grandkids) Celebrity Solstice class ships are by far my favorites.    If you snorkel be sure to book an excursion with Woodwind- very best snorkeling experience in the Caribbean- 10 minute walking distance to their catamaran from pier. 
They can help anyone learn to snorkel!  
They fill up fast so book asap- no charge til after the excursion! 

[fpsphil]

Its the same thing happening with Sea of Cortez cruises. Try booking a Princess one after January...

[luv4cruises]

1 hour ago, fpsphil said:

Its the same thing happening with Sea of Cortez cruises. Try booking a Princess one after January...

Those cruises have always been fewer than usual 7 day Mexican Riviera- don’t know why because we love  La Paz and Loreto,  There is one on 7/29/23 - Emerald that we have booked. 

Also - our all time favorite cruise Princess 10 day Tahiti snd French Polynesia has been discontinued with the elimination of their smaller ships . We did that cruise in 2012 and waited a long time for that itinerary to reappear.  Finally there it was in 2020- booked for October, 2020  / then came Covid! I doubt that Princess will ever offer that 10 day  itinerary agsin!  We had done the same itinerary in 2007 on the Paul Gaugin - too expensive and too small of ship for me. 

[gottagocit]

The Emerald’s Panama Canal voyage in April ‘23 includes stops in Aruba and Bonaire. 

[Tak8]

Princess has only released 24 through April. Still time for ABC sailings the second half of 24 whenever that schedule gets released.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Isn't the SUN supposed to sail the Caribbean?  Starting Fall 2024.

Maybe there is still hope for Bonaire, at some poiint in the future.

 

I see that Princess is changing things up with their longer Itineraries.

But, not offering Bonaire might be another questionable Princess decision.

 

[cruisequeen4ever]

I’ve noticed and ebb and flow to itineraries. In 2015, it was hard to find an ABC itin, so we jumped on the one we found. Then, loads of ABC itins came about the next years. 

[Guest ldtr]

On 12/30/2022 at 3:42 AM, luv4cruises said:

Those cruises have always been fewer than usual 7 day Mexican Riviera- don’t know why because we love  La Paz and Loreto,  There is one on 7/29/23 - Emerald that we have booked. 

Also - our all time favorite cruise Princess 10 day Tahiti snd French Polynesia has been discontinued with the elimination of their smaller ships . We did that cruise in 2012 and waited a long time for that itinerary to reappear.  Finally there it was in 2020- booked for October, 2020  / then came Covid! I doubt that Princess will ever offer that 10 day  itinerary agsin!  We had done the same itinerary in 2007 on the Paul Gaugin - too expensive and too small of ship for me. 

Princess does not have a small enough ship to do the old Tahiti 10 day route now that French Polynesia has limited the size of ships that can stop in Bora Bora.

 

We have booked a 21 day cruise on Oceania that starts in Papeete, does a number of islands, including Bora Bora, then ends in LA.

Edited January 12, 2023 by ldtr

[Guest ldtr]

On 12/30/2022 at 9:03 AM, Wishing on a star said:

Isn't the SUN supposed to sail the Caribbean?  Starting Fall 2024.

Maybe there is still hope for Bonaire, at some poiint in the future.

 

I see that Princess is changing things up with their longer Itineraries.

But, not offering Bonaire might be another questionable Princess decision.

 

Would be surprised if the Sun sailed anything longer than a 7 day itinerary in the Caribbean. The trend has been as ships get larger the itineraries get shorter with less variety. Plus it looks like Bonaire may be limiting the number of cruise ship passengers each day.